Cocktail & Cake Liquid Afternoon Tea at The Royal Horseguards

I’m more of real ale and pork pie kinda guy – and for a very good reason! – however when I received an invitation to try out the Cocktail & Cake Liquid Afternoon Tea menu at The Royal Horseguards Hotel with a cool bunch of fellow bloggers I couldn’t resist. What sane person would?

During the course of the evening we watched various demonstrations, which included cocktail making, canapé making and cake making. Along with plenty of sampling for research purposes of course! We also enjoyed a tour of  One  Whitehall Place, the historic National Liberal Club that is now owned by and adjoins the Royal Horseguards Hotel.

The Cocktail & Cake Liquid Afternoon Tea is an inspired menu which has been created especially to coincide with London Cocktail Week and only runs until the 14 October 2012. Go check it out while you can…

You may be wondering just what does the ‘cake liquid’ part of the menu involve? I’m sure we all know what cocktails are! Well let me explain… ‘cake liquid’ refers to alcohol infused delicious deserts, such as a Strawberry Daiquiri macaroons, which features rum infused white chocolate ganache, these are amazing. Or a Long Island Iced Tea Jelly shot with Coca cola foam, this tastes as good as it looks… I had to have 3 in aid of research!

Thankfully for the traditionalists like me, the liquid afternoon tea also includes a selection of finger sandwiches and savoury bites. The scones and cream are to die for… they really are fantastic! It is also refreshing to see that they have one of my all time favourite cocktails on the menu, the Long Island Iced Tea.

If the weather is nice enjoy the themed tea menu on the sun terrace, if you are treating your wife, girlfriend or partner book the stylish Equus Bar, or if you are treating your parents I would recommend the very classy lounge. You, they wont be disappointed by the Cocktail & Cake Liquid Afternoon Tea at theRoyal Horseguards Hotel.

After the tough job of sampling cocktails and cakes we embarked on a guided tour of One Whitehall Place with one of London’s very, very knowledgeable Blue Badge Holders. We learned about the history of what is a Grade 1 listed architectural gem of a building – exterior and interior!

The National Liberal Club was founded in 1882, by William Gladstone for the purpose of providing club facilities for Liberal Party campaigners. One Whitehall Place was actually completed until 1887, and even though much of the building is now used by the Royal Horsegaurds Hotel, to this very day the Lib Dem club still operates from the building.

It was a real thrill having the opportunity to explore parts of what is a building steeped in history. Churchill was a frequent visitor during his time as a Liberal Democrat and even when he was Prime Minister, he found the bar a great place to drink… I meant think! I know plenty of people regard Nick Clegg the current leader of the Liberal Democrat party as con merchant… so it isn’t a real surprise that in 1976 the then Liberal Leader Jeremy Thorpe handed over the running of the slowly dying club to Canadian confidence trickster George de Chabris. During one of his finer moments he  proceeded to sell the vast and valuable Library collection for a pittance of only £40,000 to Bristol University.

Cocktail & Cake Liquid Afternoon Tea at The Royal Horseguards Hotel
The Royal Horseguards
2 Whitehall Court
London
SW1A 2EJ

+44 (0)20 7414 2357

Cost £40 per person